Healing Time

The library of the Menders was an enormous collection, spread across the million years or so of time that had been traveled; Ariel wasted no time in getting to know it intimately.

Lazarus found her floating some twenty feet off the ground, large book laying across her lap and her eyes darting back and forth excitedly, soaking in the information like a sponge. The dead stillness of the library was only broken intermittently by the soft creak of her turning a page.

“Oy! Ariel, dear a word?” He called up to her.

As wrapped up in her book as she was, the sudden noise startled her badly. The book went flying into the air, and Ariel, forgetting she could fly, fell to the ground in a heap. She grumbled softly as she climbed to her feet, screeching as the book finally completed its earthward movement and struck her squarely on the head. Lazarus chuckled deeply as she blinked several times to clear her head.

“Now that I’ve become a cartoon character…” She grumbles softly, rubbing at her tender scalp. “What’s up, Lazzy?”

“Mender Silos would like to speak with you, dear. I just got done having him chew on my butt, he asked me to find you and give you the message.”

“Uh oh. What’d I do this time?”

“Dunno. Best not keep the head honcho waiting, though; men of his stature get cranky by the minute they’re made to suffer as normal people.” Lazarus winked at her, pushing her towards the door.

She managed to peck his cheek gently as he threw her out of the library, causing the older man to blush considerably. He watched with a deep fondness as she skipped out and up towards Silo’s office. Ariel was a treasure this organization hadn’t seen in awhile, and damnit, he was going to make sure that pig head Silos didn’t do anything to screw that up – again.

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Silos paced the room heavily, unsure even after so many years as to what to say to her.

There was a soft knock at the door, and his heart stilled for a moment, threatening to choke him as it sat in his throat.

“Come in.” He barely managed to keep his voice level and calm.

Gods, but she was still beautiful. Golden blonde hair cascading over her shoulders like a waterfall caught in sunlight; deep, emerald eyes like forests tree tops that he remembered fondly from his own world. The face of angel, and the heart of one too, with a body that would make most high class strippers green with envy. Just looking on her sent pangs of longing through him, but he quickly buried them. Ariel was as sharp as she was beautiful, if memory served, and in order for this to work, she couldn’t know that side of him just yet.

“You wanted to see me, Mender Silos?” Her voice was a clear note on a cloudy day to him, the sweet tune of angels trumpeting from the heavens.

“Yes, Ariel. I would like to talk to you about your involvement with our organization here.”

“Oh, all right… I didn’t screw something up, did I?” She sounded timid, and regretful, and it almost broke Silo’s heart.

“No, no dear. I am speaking of what I have seen you do for us. I wish to set you on that path.”

“Oh, ah…”

Silos took the opportunity of her standing there, open and confused, to make his move. He pulled her into his arms quickly, bending his head to capture her lips in a kiss. God, he thought, she still tasted like heaven.

Ariel, so startled by this, responded to the kiss before she knew what had hit her. Idaho had caught her off guard so many times, it was just instinct to react to an unexpected kiss; but the moment she realized what was going on, she pulled away fiercely, but Silos was strong, and kept her pulled against him easily.

“Beautiful, sweet Ariel, I have missed you so…” His hand gently cups her cheek, stroking it as he gazes down at her. “Why do you fight? Don’t you…” He sighs softly, releasing her after a moment.

“What. The. Hell.” Ariel pressed her back flat against the wall, staring at him with complete and utter shock in her eyes.

“Oh, Ariel… I forget, now, that you do not know me as you do later… We were lovers, and I have missed you sorely for some years… I loved you with everything, my love, heart and soul, mind and body. I overstepped my bounds; I am sorry.” Silos looked up at her, soft tears leaking down his cheeks.

“But, but… I’m with Idy. I only want to be with Idy. Forever.”

“Ariel, the path you must take to save us all does not lie with that fool. He is not your future. I am.”

“No… I refuse to accept that. He is the other half of my soul…” She trails off, staring at Silos coldly.

“You will see the truth one day, my Ariel. You are the true mender, truest of all of us here. You taught most of them the tricks of the trade; your innate ability to heal… You will heal time itself, with me by your side.”

Ariel looks one last time at Silos, in utter disbelief, before bolting out the door.